By: Charles Stack
I was disappointed in Apple’s iPad announcement. I had expected more. However, in hindsight, I believe I understand the strategy. The number one goal of Wednesday’s release was to torch the Kindle/Nook/tablet/netbook space and therefore timing, price, and eBooks were core factors.
To compete with this new category the price had to be under $500. Thus, no camera, webcam, gps, 3G, no built-in connectors, fancy OLED screen, or resistive keyboard. No normal Apple premium pricing. Design decisions, in very un-Apple like fashion, were primarily cost driven. The goal was to get it out the door, and competing with the Kindle and the Nook before the eBook category developed insurmountable momentum and Apple risked losing control of a media space - even one as ‘yesterday’ as print.
The press leaks around a $1,000 price point were intentional so Jobs could get a few extra wows out of the crowd.
It also explains the curious lack of support for new multi-touch gestures and the peculiar SDK release. First the SDK is number 3.2, an inappropriately point release given the new device status. There is also oddly bifurcated support for iPad/iPhone functionality within the SDK. We will see a 4.0 release by March, in time to digest for WWDC. 4.0 will include a full suite of tablet appropriate gesture support, and I predict some completely unexpected surprises.
Finally, where is the new MacBook Air? Nowhere. There won’t be one. The replacement product will be a 13″ iPad screen (iPad Pro) with detached bluetooth keyboard, running OS X with full multi-touch capability.
The iPad was not a new product launch as much as it was the launch of the first product in a new category. But, this time Apple is starting at the low end and moving up.
